Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: The Tang Clan Chronicle
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Baek Yang-hui found himself dangling in midair from Gu-ak's grip for the first time in a while.
Well, not exactly the first time if you didn't count the good kind of hanging.
"Brother Gu. Congratulations from the bottom of my heart."
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
"Is it definitely happening?"
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
"At least he's still doing his job, though."
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
Gu-ak clearly wasn't hearing a word right now.
But who could blame him?
He'd been in prime position to inherit the Crimson Gang, yet he'd thrown it all away to join the Baek Clan Manor.
For one reason only: his beloved wife, Yeo A-rang.
Now that she'd borne the fruit of their love, how could he possibly stay sane?
'Looks like we'll have a new baby in the Baek Clan.'
Not just Yang-hui—everyone in the Baek Clan Manor showered Gu-ak with congratulations.
Gifts poured into Baekik Hall, the residence shared by Gu-ak and the Yeo family, piling up day after day.
"Thank you all! Hahaha! Hahaha!"
Ever since Yeo A-rang's belly had started to swell, Gu-ak wandered around with a perpetual grin.
Hard to believe this was the man once called the Blood Lord.
Heck, people even started calling him "Upper Vassal Daddy" because he smiled so much, like a dad on cloud nine.
'Kids really. Does becoming a father change a man that much?'
The thought bubbled up out of nowhere.
Yang-hui had never been a husband to any woman in his past life, let alone a father to a child.
'Not the time for those thoughts anyway.'
He turned to gaze at the training grounds.
There were the Dang siblings warming up and preparing for practice: Young Clan Leader Dang Gun and his younger sister by a year, Dang Yeon.
It had been a full year since the Baek Clan Manor established the Dang Clan branch.
Yang-hui had grown close enough to Dang Gun to call him "hyung," and even with Dang Yeon like a big sister and little sister.
The Baek family actively encouraged the kids to train together and build bonds, so Baek Heon-so and Baek Yeon-yeon had also become quite tight with the Dang siblings.
'Not tight enough to share secret techniques, though.'
Secret techniques. Peeking at another clan's was taboo.
But Yang-hui had a real fascination with the Dang Clan's hereditary martial arts.
The reason was simple.
'Sigh. Need to find an opening and plant some seeds for improvement.'
The Sacheon Dang Clan. Born as a counter to the unorthodox poisoners and hidden weapon masters who used any means necessary.
Backed by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, the Dang Clan's core arts originated from them.
What that meant was...
'The Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans all hold the counters to Dang Clan techniques.'
They'd raised the Dang Clan on the "with poison, counter poison" principle, embedding restrictions to control the dangers of poison and hidden weapons.
Bluntly put, it was like a dog on a leash.
Now that the Dang Clan was Baek allies, he couldn't just leave it like that.
'Problem is, no openings yet.'
Beyond martial arts, there was other business to handle for the Dang Clan.
With poison and hidden weapons as signature skills—shady stuff—the Dang Clan was scorned and shunned wherever they went.
Everyone assumed Dang folk were vicious poisoners.
That's why Dang people obsessed over righteousness, chivalry, propriety, and etiquette to a fault.
'That's exactly why we wanted them as allies in the first place.'
"Brother Hui. You're here."
"Yes, Brother Dang."
Dang Gun, mature and upright beyond his boyish years, always carried himself properly.
Considering the gap in clan sizes, status, and age, he could've been casual—no one would bat an eye.
Yet Dang Gun always treated Yang-hui with full respect.
'With that much difference, ignoring or snubbing the main house would be normal. Hell, expected.'
The Dang Clan never did.
That's why he'd chosen them—and planned to forge a different fate from his past life.
'Putting them out front works best long-term anyway.'
As the main house grew, rival forces would start checking them.
Especially the Namgung Clan in Anhui. Better to delay catching those bastards' eyes as long as possible.
So for the next few years, until the Baek Clan had the power to stand front and center, riding the Dang Clan's coattails made perfect sense.
'Grow the Dang Clan. Grow the main house alongside.'
First step: overhaul the public's view of the Dang Clan.
Luckily, he had just the method.
"Brother Dang, I'm skipping training today."
"Hm? You skipping practice, Brother Hui? That's a first."
"Got something more urgent."
Back at his residence, Yang-hui sat before a blank book for the first time in ages, brush in hand.
A way to help the Dang Clan while reaping benefits for the Baek Clan.
'To shift perceptions, it needs to spread far and wide.'
And Yang-hui had the perfect tool.
Novels by One Stroke Writer.
'Baek Book Merchant Group's been nagging for a new one anyway. More money's always good.'
Yang-hui chuckled and set the brush dancing.
'Content that hypes the Dang Clan to the max.'
Among One Stroke Writer's works was one called Peng Clan Chronicle.
In short: a Peng youth gains fortune, roams the jianghu building ties, and founds the world's greatest clan.
The gripping tale made it one of the author's top three hits.
'Just swap Peng for Dang.'
Peng Clan Chronicle was written to seduce the Peng matriarch.
He succeeded, got caught, and ended up torn limb from limb by the Peng Clan head.
Anyway.
It gilded the Peng Clan every which way.
Swapping to Dang made it perfect hype material.
'Keep the original fun, hype Dang, weave in real Dang elements if possible.'
More changes than expected—it took days to finish.
But the result matched the original's page-turning thrill.
"If it plays out as planned... this'll be fun."
Grinning, he set down the brush and eyed the once-blank book's cover.
[Tang Clan Chronicle]
[Young physician Dang Mu-jin of the Tang Clan in Sacheon Province's Iron and Medicine Hall dreams a strange dream.]
[A dream of becoming the first divine healer, Gu Ya-ja.]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Dang Clan's identity boils down to two things.
Controllers of poison and hidden weapons, raised by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans to counter "poison with poison."
And a clan born from the Iron and Medicine Halls—the blacksmiths and physicians' trade guilds.
Why blacksmiths and doctors?
Simple reason.
[The number of blacksmiths bullied by martial artists hunting rare ores is countless as grains of sand,]
[and how many physicians have become scapegoats for revenge, all because they healed an arch-enemy?]
These two groups—blacksmiths and doctors—suffered and died most from jianghu entanglements among civilians.
"......Ahh."
Dang Gun finished Tang Clan Chronicle and gazed at the sky, tears streaming down his face.
Beside him, Dang Yeon stood with reddened eyes.
"How can such a novel exist in this world?"
Tang Clan Chronicle struck every chord in the Dang Clan's heart.
Soothing old grudges, pains, humiliations.
Like rain in a drought...!
"Really? Brother Hui wrote this?"
"Yeah, but keep it secret."
Yang-hui kept his One Stroke Writer activities under wraps from outsiders, via contract with Baek Book Merchant Group.
With the Baek Clan's growth hidden behind Dang coattails, no need to draw eyes.
But...
He had to tell the Dang Clan.
He'd gone to the trouble—mere days, but still—of writing it for them.
No point without the credit.
"Thank you, Brother Hui!"
Dang Gun seized Yang-hui's hands and shook them hard.
Dang Yeon joined in.
"Thanks, little brother Hui! From the heart!"
"I don't know how to repay this kindness."
"Enough from both of you. Between allies like Baek and Dang, this is no 'favor'."
Dang Gun's eyes grew solemn.
"No. You lifted every Dang Clan's grudge. We'll repay this."
A full year since sending Tang Clan Chronicle to Baek Book Merchant Group.
Like the previous two novels, it exploded in popularity.
The result?
At least in Jiangxi Province, no one saw the Dang Clan as vicious poisoners who needed avoiding anymore.
"Wearing clan mourning clothes and strolling the streets, getting greetings from folks? Never dreamed."
"I went out yesterday—people weren't scared; they crowded to chat."
The Tang Clan in the novel lived and died by righteousness and chivalry—a picture-perfect orthodox sect.
Three inches of tongue beats three feet of sword, they say.
The novel's boom flipped public views on the Dang Clan completely.
"No, the real Dang Clan is like that. I've never seen anyone uphold benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom like you, Brother Dang."
Yang-hui demurred, but Dang Gun shook his head.
"No. Our branch's Iron and Medicine Hall customers jumped fivefold. All thanks to you, Brother Hui."
Dang blacksmithing and medicine were top-notch already.
Once prejudices vanished, word of skill spread—now crowds were daily.
"I'll petition the main house for proper reward on this. And I swear here."
Dang Gun spoke gravely.
"As Young Clan Leader: the Dang Clan sees Baek as true allies and partners."
Yang-hui grinned at the words he wanted.
"Baek feels the same."
Mission accomplished—the big goal of writing Tang Clan Chronicle.
Gaining recognition as equals from the Dang Clan.
Despite Baek's weakness, he'd pulled affection and goodwill. Profit enough.
'Plus a fat stack of cash.'
Four years since One Stroke Writer's debut.
The pen name now shook Jiangxi Province.
As discussed with Baek Book Merchant Group, the books themselves became collectibles.
Money flowed like never before.
"Young Master Huiii! Climb on this old man's shoulders! From today, Han Seok-eon is your loyal steed!"
The chief steward's fussing and piggyback offer felt earned.
When the Dang Clan sent 500 gold taels as thanks, he even tried carrying him by force.
'Steward's energy matches his fitness and finances, huh.'
Yang-hui chuckled, leaped to the roof, and overlooked the Baek Clan Manor.
'Three years since regression already.'
Time flies like an arrow—or a moment like three autumns.
The Baek Clan had changed beyond recognition.
And it would change even faster ahead.
'I'll make sure of it.'
And so.
Another moment—three years—passed.